


Making Memories

by sneakronicity



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Early in Canon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-11
Updated: 2014-08-11
Packaged: 2018-02-12 18:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2120346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sneakronicity/pseuds/sneakronicity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Natasha's first birthday since joining S.H.I.E.L.D. and Clint wants to make it special.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making Memories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StormXPadme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormXPadme/gifts).



> So today is my darling Stormy's birthday so I whipped this up for her. Apologies for any mistakes as I didn't have time to properly proofread. Happy birthday, darling! Hope you enjoy!

She knew it was him before she even opened the door.It wasn’t just that after almost a year of working with S.H.I.E.L.D. he was the only person who visited her in an unofficial capacity, but he had a distinctive knock, not quite _Shave and a Hair Cut_ but a recognizable pattern nonetheless.So when Natasha opened the door she was fully expecting to see Clint on the other side.It was the cake he was holding and the ridiculous, brightly coloured paper cone hat he wore on his head that was a surprise.

Oh, and the noisemaker he proceeded to blow the second she opened the door.

“Happy Birthday!” he exclaimed, but he didn’t get a laugh or even a smile as he had expected.Instead she looked cautious, suspicious, and a little confused.

“I didn’t tell you it is my birthday,” she said, eying the noisemaker warily until he removed it from his lips.

“You didn’t need to,” he said with a grin, determined not to be put off by her reaction.

She stared him down for a long moment.“You got it out of my file,” she spoke in a completely even tone, but Clint could tell she didn’t like this thought.If she thought he was reading up on her now, that he was nosing into her private life after months of being partners, then he could understand her being upset and made sure to explain.“I read your file when you were my mission.Always had a pretty good memory, so the date stuck with me.”

Actually, it had stuck with him because he had been so surprised at her age and it had taken him some time and many readings to come to terms with her having done so much while still being so young.It still bothered him now to think about her childhood, or lack thereof, hence his current show of making an idiot out of himself.

Natasha accepted the explanation, and while she still looked unsure of what to do with this situation she no longer appeared suspicious of him.  

For a moment they stood absolutely silent until Clint started to grow uncomfortable.People were starting to stare.“So, uh, can I come in or what?” he asked, shifting his weight and glancing down the corridor.The first hint of a smile appeared on Natasha’s lips but was gone in the blink of an eye.  

“I don’t celebrate my birthday,” she said, but Clint noticed the look she gave the cake in his hand.

“Correction, you _didn’t_ celebrate your birthday _before_ ,” he said, his grin returning.“You do now.”

“Oh, do I?” she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow at him.

“Well, it’s either that or I go eat this whole cake by myself.Or maybe I’l share it with Coulson or Hill or...”

He could see her internal struggle of wanting to hold out longer to make him more uncomfortable, and giving in because she hadn’t tested his limits enough yet and didn’t know how far she could push him before he got truly upset or offended.Heaving a sigh she eventually stepped aside and let him in.

“I thought so,” he said, entering the room and setting the cake on the small desk.Turning to Natasha again he found she had closed the door but was lingering by it, looking lost and uneasy.He felt his heart ache for her.

“Okay, I’m gonna level with you,” he began, pulling the silly hat off of his head and tossing it onto the desk.“I didn’t really do birthdays as a kid either.Our dad drank away all our money and... well, we didn’t really do much celebrating for anything.”

Natasha knew the vague plot of Clint’s life; the first month they had been partners he had shown up at her door with a copy of his personal file (albeit a watered down version as she didn’t have clearance for anything above level one) and said “now we’re even”.He didn’t know she had already felt entirely indebted to him, but the gesture had certainly gone a long way in gaining her trust.Therefore she knew the basics of his life but not the details he was now offering.Unconsciously she moved away from the door, taking a few steps closer so as not to miss anything.

“At the circus, though, it was more like a family thing than I’d had before and they made sure me and Barney had proper birthdays, with presents and everything.”Clint smiled a little sadly at the memory.His time at the circus had ended in about the worst way possible, but the years before that had been some of the best of his life.“I know it might seem kinda strange, but it’s the one day every year that you can celebrate you, and other people do too and it’s kind of nice, you know?Having people show you that they care and are glad that you were born?”

Natasha turned the sentiment over in her head and felt torn.“Are you?” she asked, tilting her head slightly to one side.“Glad I was born?Because there are a lot of people in the world who are not.” _And many more that would still be in the world if I wasn’t,_ she didn’t say, but she didn’t have to.

Clint didn’t hesitate to answer. “Damn right I am,” he said with complete conviction.“A partner who can not only keep up with me, but _put up_ with me?”

That seemed to do it and finally she smiled and Clint felt the tension he had been holding vanish.This could have gone a lot worse.

“Now, most little girls at some point, apparently, ask for a pony for their birthday.I tried asking Fury for one for you but he didn’t seem too keen on the idea, so this’ll have to do.”From inside his coat he produced what appeared to be a wad of newspaper held together with a lot of tape, and he held it out to her with a sheepish smile.It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he felt really nervous that it was really stupid and she was going to hate it.

Taking the gift, Natasha turned it over in her hands, inspecting the wrapping and making him feel more self conscious before hesitantly ripping the paper away.Inside was a small plastic horse with a long mane and tail of flaming red hair.

“I’ll get you something better next year.Maybe even throw a big party,” he said, is heart hammering in his chest as she carefully ran her fingers through the silky, synthetic hair that had reminded him of hers.“Just no clowns.They’re creepy as fuck.”

When she laughed he felt a wave of relief was over him.Her smile was warm and appreciative, all signs of her earlier wariness gone, and he quickly smiled back.“Happy birthday, Natasha,” he said again, this time quiet and sincere.

“Thank you, Clint,” she replied, sounding like she meant it.

For a moment they just smiled at each other until Clint broke himself out of his stupor and jumped back a step to gesture to the desk before producing two forks from his coat. “I couldn’t quite fit the plates in there,” he said, leaning against one corner of the desk while Natasha settled into the chair.She seemed to consider this a moment before just digging in with her fork.Shoveling a large bite of chocolate and icing into her mouth she grinned up at him and nodded.He started on the other side with his own fork.

It wasn’t like she was going to share it with anyone but him anyhow.

They ate in comfortable silence, her never letting go of her gift and he only getting poked once with her fork when he tried to put the birthday hat on her head.

Natasha didn’t really remember the few birthdays she had celebrated as a child before she’d lost her parents, but this first one with Clint she would never forget.

 


End file.
